Address for correspondence: Dr. C.B. Sanjeevi, Department of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, CMM, L8:00, Stockholm, S-17176, Sweden. Voice: +46-8-51776254; fax: +46-8-51776179.
sanjeevi.carani{at}molmed.ki.se
cM.B. and A.S.B. have contributed equally to this paper.
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 958: 281-284 (2002).
Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have considerable
risk for developing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in life.
Autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) and
tyrosine phosphatase (IA-2) are strongly associated with autoimmune
diabetes and can be useful in early identification of the development
of type 1 diabetes in women with GDM. On the other hand antibodies
against minor islet antigens in adults can be predictors for
autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome. The aim of our study was
to estimate the prevalence of autoantibodies against minor antigens—tissue
transglutaminase (TTG), ICA12, and 21-hydroxylase (21-0H)—in
GDM patients from southern India. Eighty-six serum samples from
GDM subjects and 114 samples from healthy controls were tested
for the presence of GAD65 and IA-2Ab as well as for the presence
of 21-OH, TTG, and ICA12Ab by radiobinding assay with
in vitro translated recombinant human 35S-GAD65, IA-2, TTG, ICA12, and
21-OH antigens. We observed the presence of GAD65 or IA-2 autoantibodies
in 41% (35/86) of GDM patients, while none of the patients tested
positive for any of the minor autoantibodies. Our results demonstrate
that there is a high prevalence of autoantibodies in GDM subjects
that are at higher risk of developing autoimmune diabetes later,
but none of the patients carries antibodies against minor antigens,
which could predict autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome in adults.
